Miss Dior

Miss Dior is a wartime story of freedom and fascism, beauty and betrayal and 'a gripping story' (Antonia Fraser). *The New Look, a new Apple TV drama series starring Maisie Williams as Catherine Dior - in a role inspired by Justine Picardie's Miss Dior - is out now* 'Exceptional . . . Miss Dior is so much more than a biography. It's about how necessity can drive people to either terrible deeds or acts of great courage, and how beauty can grow from the worst kinds of horror.' DAILY TELEGRAPH Miss Dior explores the relationship between the visionary designer Christian Dior and his beloved younger sister Catherine, who inspired his most famous perfume and shaped his vision of femininity. Justine Picardie's journey takes her to wartime Paris, where Christian honed his couture skills while Catherine dedicated herself to the French Resistance and the battle against the Nazis, until she was captured by the Gestapo and deported to the German concentration camp of Ravensbrück. Tracing the wartime paths of the Dior siblings leads Picardie deep into other hidden histories, and different forms of resistance and sisterhood. She discovers what it means to believe in beauty and hope, despite our knowledge of darkness and despair, and reveals the timeless solace of the natural world in the aftermath of devastation and destruction. *A beautiful, full colour package featuring over 200 archival images.* 'Extraordinary . . . Picardie uses her investigative reporting skills . . . the result is Netflix-worthy and the pace page-turning . . . Catherine's story shines - the quiet Dior who preferred flowers to fashion, the unsung heroine who survived the abuse of the Third Reich to help liberate France.' SUNDAY TIMES ' THE TIMES 'The juxtaposition of the terrible shadows and dazzling light is one of the great strengths of this book . . . A very personal, very passionate book.' ARTEMIS COOPER, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 'Picardie writes: 'The vestiges of Catherine's presence remain as a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom, and why it is worth fighting for.' There are few truer words.' THE SPECTATOR 'Picardie's book is of the moment, celebrating an unsung hero at a time when female influences are earning new acclaim.' VOGUE 'Miss Dior ensures the bravery of the women at Ravensbrück is not merely a distant echo.' i 'Beautiful.' OBSERVER 'Moving and beautifully illustrated.' NEW STATESMAN 'Stunning.' RED 'Not just beautifully written, this is also a stunningly beautiful book.' NOON